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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Imaculata" data-source="post: 8046974" data-attributes="member: 6801286">The prisonerA carriage with two horses passes, carrying a cage with a man in it. Two guards from a nearby town/city are carrying the prisoner to a crow's cage out on a hill. They mean for the man to die there under the hot burning sun. When the prisoner sees the players he pleads with them to set him free, offering his services if they do. The prisoner was imprisoned for the crime of sleeping with the wife of a nobleman (or some other person of influence and power), along with some other petty crimes. He is however lawful good.The bandit campThe players see some smoke in the distance. If they approach, they stumble upon a small camp with a group of 6 armed people who claim to be a traveling caravan of merchants, but they are in fact bandits. The players have caught them off guard, and the bandits do not want a confrontation with an armed group of capable adventurers. So they will try to lie their way out of the situation, and hide the fact that all of their merchandize is stolen. The players may notice that the bandits are a bit on edge, that they are very well armed, and that their goods are very varied and are all valuable items. Only if the players become too nosy, will they attack. Their leader is well spoken and friendly, and will try his best to not rouse any suspicion. If the players offer to accompany them, he will kindly refuse their offer, assuring them that they are quite capable to hold their own.The injured bearThe players hear the distressed growls of a wild animal nearby. A bear is caught in a trap and heavily injured. If the players want to set the beast free, they should be carefuly in handling it, or they'll get mauled. If they are able to comfort the animal and set it free, it retreats into the forest. They earn an ally that will come to their help at a later point. Alternatively, they can wait for the hunter who set the trap, who claims this bear attacked and killed a boy. He is however mistaken (the true culprit could tie into the plot some how). The hunter will not be happy if the players tampered with his trap and demand compensation.Alternatively, the bear may be a shapeshifting druid, and the trap may be magical in nature, preventing him from changing back.Go no further!Near a path, the players encounter an old sign in the forest/jungle that reads "Go no further!", and a skull has been drawn underneath the text. If the players ignore the sign and proceed, they'll notice that the path is partially washed out. The ground is sloped as if there has been a recent mud slide. The players should be careful not to loose their footing, or risk a tumble down a steep 20 ft. decline. There is an overwhelming sense of dread here. The trees and plants here are dead, and bare branches tear at their clothing. There are faint footprints leading further down the path, indicating that other travelers have taken this path before. As they proceed further, they will encounter some old items belonging to these travelers: a backpack, a shoe, a belt, an empty scabbard, a waterskin. Eventually they stumble upon a horrific graveyard; countless skeletal remains of the travelers, their arms and feet sticking out of the mud. These people didn't sink. It looks as if they were pulled into the mud while struggling in vain. While the creatures that attacked these travelers are no longer present, there is an opportunity here to have this threat make a reprise later on in the campaign.The carcass in the treeThe players stumble upon the half-eaten remains of a deer dangling from a tree. If the players visit this location at night, they may encounter the predator that hoisted it up there, returning for another snack. Alternatively, the carcass may attract scavengers.The resurrection ritualA corpse of a female druid lies wrapped in cloth on top of a simple stone altar. A gathering of druids are attempting to bring her back to life. If the players disrupt the ritual, they may anger the druids. The resurrection may go wrong as well, resulting in the druid being brought back as a hostile undead. The ritual lasts for several hours, after which the druids rest to try again the next day.SightseeingThe players stumble upon a collosal statue carved into a cliff. The statue is big enough to have flocks of birds nesting on it. The statue resembles an important historical figure (possibly a king or some hero), portrayed in his armor and clutching a sword and shield. Names have been carved into the rocks nearby by other travelers and there are signs that people have often camped at the foot of the statue. The players earn bonus experience simply from visiting the statue. The statue can be seen from afar. If climbed, the statue provides the players with a good view of the surrounding area. This could allow the players to spot the next random encounter before it happens, and possibly avoid it. Two other sightseeing locations may be visible from the top of the statue, which can also earn the players bonus experience when visited.Lights in the darkAt night the players can see flashes of light coming from the wilderness. The flashes are caused by a wizard teaching a girl how to cast spells. The girl has a natural talent for magic, but due to her social class is not allowed to study it. The wizard is teaching her in secret. The wizard offers to teach the players one new spell. Also, his apprentice may be a helpful ally to the party. She knows the area well and can provide them with plenty of local information.The divinerA diviner lives in a wooden shack in the forest, near a small pool of water. She is shunned by the locals, due to her prophecies. For the right price, she'll perform a divination for the party, for which she uses the pool of water. The players can see her vision in the water and hear sound emanating from it with a ghostly echo. If she is asked to spy on enemies of the players, and these enemies have any magical aptitude, then they may seek out the diviner and kill her.The mapstoneThe players find a large upright stone with a rudimentary map carved into it. The map is very old and will not show newer locations. The players can however use it to learn of older important locations in the area (including areas forgotten by the locals). The map also gives them advantage on any further navigation checks in the area.Lake of remembranceA foggy lake has about 20 rectangular basalt pillars scattered about it. Candles burn in recesses in the black pillars to remember the dead. Locals take rowingboats out onto the lake and place candles and keepsakes inside the pillars. In response, the pillars bring back visions of the dead. The visions cannot speak or answer questions in any way. The pillars were built by an ancient forgotten people. None remain who know who built them. The lake is considered a sacred location and none dare commit any acts of hostility on the lake for fear of angering the spirits of the lake. There are always some empty rowingboats near the shore and the players are very likely to meet locals who are busy lighting candles. The players can use this location to bring back a temporary vision of a deceased person they know and loved. The vision can't give them any insights or respond to them. They merely appear as they are in the player's good memories of them.Message from a dying soldierThe party stumbles upon a dying soldier, who has an urgent message for the local ruler. He asks the players to deliver the message with his dying breath, for which they will be rewarded. Any attempts to heal the man are futile, since his injuries are too severe, he always dies. Any attempts to resurrect him are also futile, since his soul does not wish to return (he died an honorable death). They find him amidst the scene of a battle, surrounded by the corpses of his comrades. He may be the victim of a war-party, a monster, or the main villain, and his death could easily be tied into the main plot. The message is a warning to the local ruler, and is directly tied to the people responsible for the death of the soldier.The stargazing monksThe party encounter a group of meditating monks, who are sitting on the edge of a large overlook. They are waiting for the sun to set, to gaze upon the stars and gain new insights. The leader of this congregation offers the players to rest here with them and share in their food, for he believes that is the will of the gods, and their purpose. If the players choose to rest here, he will offer to provide them with divine insight regarding one topic of their choosing. The monks will then read the stars and provide the players with information directly from the gods. In this location the players cannot be attacked, should they make camp here. Their politeness to the monk earns the players the friendship of the monks and good standing with the locals, especially if they share food and drinks with them.</blockquote>

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